Digital painting. I actually did this 3 months ago, but I wasn't really satisfied. So now there's this big opportunity called contest, I had to go back on this piece and improved it. The prizes are cool! I never really had a real proper training (and I badly need to work on my anatomy skills) so I'm entering Wish me luck and everyone who's entering!

This is amazing, I love the concept and how you executed it is superb! I love how the color of her makeup corresponds to the red bird, it adds a beautiful layer of symmetry to this painting. You did a wonderful job shading, and I love how the tree roots interact with her face. I also think that you did well with her body in profile, it can be really hard for me personally to not make them too skinny (then again, I also draw anime, and most anime people are scrawny!) Keep up the good work!

For a digital painting, the color scheme is very naturalistic-- and also very hard to find in natural materials, too. I usually find these kind of colors in decaying material-- particularly rust; it's quite symbolic when it's put with this idea of 'bleeding in despair, and weeping silently', like physical, and emotional decay... That reminds me that this is also nature we're talking about here, so that makes even more sense!

I feel like nature's left shoulder should be sticking out a bit more to the left, because with her shoulder like that, looks kinda uncomfortable IMO; the way the neck tilts the head back, while the shoulders just say there, as if nature was looking directly at a profile angle.

I just tried that out in the mirror, just to check if the anatomy was correct. Speaking of which, you could actually use yourself as reference for your portraits, and paintings. Just get a webcam, or mirror, and there! Perfectly correct anatomy... unless you happened to have been in some HORRIBLE accident. (I wish you good luck on recovery, if you did!)

For someone who never really had proper training, I'd say you were really ambitious in this, and it goes to show through the different techniques attempted, or employed in this (digital) artwork (but you are still very good at traditional art). Great job! ...Although I wished I wished you luck, but eh-- contest's over so yap. c: